Kresimir Spicer was born in Slavonski Brod, Croatia. He took his first singing lessons at the Music Academy of Zagreb. In 1994 he went to The Netherlands and went on to study at the Sweelinck Conservatorium. In 1997 he won first prize in the National Competition for Young Singers of The Netherlands and in 1999 he won four of five prizes in the Vriendenkrans Competition for Young Musicians. He has appeared in several productions such as Octavia, Andrea Chenier, Don Carlos, Gianni Schicchi, Alcina, and Das klagende Lied. In October 2001 he joined the Nederlandse Philharmonic Orchestra to sing Haydn's Requiem, as well as Lorenzo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi with the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Utrecht. In 2002 he sang in Monteverdi's Il Combatimento di Tancredi e Clorinda with Kent Nagano in Berlin with a repetition at Los Angeles Opera in 2003. In July 2000 he sang Ulysses in Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria at the Festival Aix-en-Provence, which led to invitations to sing Ulysses again in several cities. Future engagements include Da-Ud in Strauss' Aegyptische Helena in Salzburg, Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas at the Festival Baden-Baden, andIdomeneo at the Festival Aix-en-Provence.

PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURE: One hour prior to each performance. Duff Murphy will lead the pre-performance lecture. Pre-performance lectures are generously sponsored by the Flora L. Thornton Foundation and the Opera League of Los Angeles.

PRODUCTION NOTES:Production From The Washington Opera New to Los Angeles